We know you worked incredibly hard perfecting your resume before you submitted your business school applications – and it worked out for you! Even so, take some time this week to prepare your resume for the new experiences and achievements you will enjoy in the upcoming year. Also keep in mind the competition to make yourself stand out only increases from here, as you’re competing with other successful business school applicants. Here are some resume items that may change once your MBA experience begins.
1. Standard formatting: your school will have its own suggested resume format which you will need to follow to include your resume in their database. Adapting to this format will likely mean that you lose even more space compared to what you have now; be prepared to trim your content in the resume that you use for on-campus recruiting.
2. Make room for education: as you network over the summer and at the beginning of school, you’ll want people to know where you are matriculating. You’ll want to include more than the single line, “[X] Business School, MBA expected [YYYY].” If you’ve been awarded any grants or scholarships, those should be included, as they will be a great way to differentiate yourself early on. What’s more, you’ll want to leave space for any accomplishments you expect to achieve while at school (such as making the Dean’s List, taking on a leadership role, or winning a case competition). We suggest including green bullet points for such items – that will both ensure that you leave enough space for them and, every time you look at your resume, remind you of what you hope to accomplish.
3. Update your skills and responsibilities: What has changed since you applied to school? You may have completed a major project, headed up a new committee, or begun a new volunteer role in the time since you submitted your application. For each detail you add, engage the resume reader and include demonstrable results. Try using our Resume Table Exercise to help you consider each individual bullet’s efficacy, along with how effectively your resume as a whole represents your skills and accomplishments.